SISA
SISA is a French shipping agency providing port agency, crew, customs (AEO), documentation, brokerage, and stevedoring services to ship owners, charterers, traders, and cargo handlers across 20+ European and West African countries, supported by its MySISA digital platform under SEA-Invest Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersGrand-couronne, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SISA does
SISA (Sea Invest Shipping Agency) is a French shipping agency headquartered in Grand-Couronne, France, founded in 2002 and operating as the dedicated tramping-agency arm of SEA-Invest Group - Europe's number one stevedoring and storage company for dry bulk cargoes. The company provides port agency, crew and technical assistance, customs clearance as an Agreed Economic Operator (AEO, including post-Brexit customs), documentation (Bills of Lading, ENS, Charter Parties), ship brokerage, specialized tax warehouse management, stevedoring through its SEA-Bulk branch, and specialized logistics including heavy lift, barge services, and LNG terminal supply. It serves ship owners and operators, charterers, commodity traders, cargo handlers, agri-food exporters, and offshore wind developers across a network covering the entire French coastline plus wholly owned offices and partner agencies in Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Germany, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Cameroon.
The company's technological backbone is the MySISA online portal, an integrated client platform offering four modules: Port Log (vessel call monitoring with 5-year data retention), Disbursements (financial tracking with 10-year retention and cross-port/period/commodity comparisons), Statistics (real-time port traffic business intelligence), and Terminal Characteristics (a French port technical database). In June 2025 the platform was extended with SISA TRACKING, a shipment management and tracking tool. The platform is augmented by SISAcademy, an internal training program that develops agent expertise and is sponsored by partners such as Soufflet (Groupe InVivo).
Revenue is generated through transaction-based shipping agency fees and professional service charges for customs representation, specialized tax warehouse management, brokerage, documentation, and stevedoring. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market combines direct sales to shipping companies, shipowners, charterers, and traders with a channel-partner model that leverages wholly owned offices plus carefully selected national partner networks. Named customers and partners include Total (Antwerp storage tank construction), Deme (offshore heavy lift jack-up operations), Soufflet/InVivo (grain export campaigns), and GD Containers (custom container solutions). SISA is privately held under SEA-Invest Group, owned by Philippe Van de Vyvere, with registered capital of €1,134,528 and an undisclosed employee count in the 101-250 range.
SISA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SISA
- Legal name
- Sea Invest Shipping Agency
- Website
- https://sea-invest-sa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- SISA is a French shipping agency providing port agency, crew, customs (AEO), documentation, brokerage, and stevedoring services to ship owners, charterers, traders, and cargo handlers across 20+ European and West African countries, supported by its MySISA digital platform under SEA-Invest Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SISA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Shipping Agency Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400), Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Port Call Clearance & Documentation (Arrival/Departure, Customs/Immigration/Health) (TLAHAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Vessel Husbandry & Crew Services (Crew Change, Meet & Assist, Transport, Shore Passes) (TLAHAJAB), Spare Parts, Ship Chandlery & Logistics to Vessel (TLAHAJAF)
Keywords
Where SISA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grand-couronne
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
SISA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Shipping Agency Services: Core shipping agency services including port operations, vessel call management, crew and technical assistance, legal and commercial representation towards ports and administrations.
- Customs Representation: Customs clearance services as an Agreed Economic Operator (AEO), including post-Brexit customs assistance.
- Specialized Tax Warehouses Management: Management of specialized tax warehouses for cargo storage and handling.
- Ships Brokerage: Brokerage services for vessel transactions and chartering.
- Documentation Services: Documentation services including Bills of Lading, ENS, Charter Parties preparation and management.
- Stevedoring Services: Stevedoring operations through SEA-Bulk branch including loading, discharging, storage of dry bulk cargoes.
- Logistics Services: Logistics coordination including equipment transfers, exceptional convoys, heavy lift operations.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
SISA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SISA is a shipping agency providing vessel call management, crew and technical assistance, port operations control, customs clearance, ship brokerage, documentation, stevedoring, and logistics coordination for commercial vessel operators. Services are delivered through a network of wholly owned offices covering the entire French coastline plus West Africa, supported by the MySISA online portal that provides port log tracking, disbursement accounts, real-time statistics, and terminal characteristics databases.
Product overview
SISA offers a unified shipping agency platform combining online digital services with traditional port operations. The MySISA portal serves as the central access point for four integrated modules: Port Log for vessel call monitoring and performance analysis, Disbursements for financial tracking and cost comparisons, Statistics for business intelligence and traffic analysis, and Terminal Characteristics for technical port data. Beyond digital services, SISA provides complementary shipping agency services including customs representation (as an Agreed Economic Operator), stevedoring, brokerage, documentation, and Hub department services for crew assistance and logistics coordination.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shipping Agency Services Core shipping agency services including crew and technical assistance, port operations control, and legal and commercial representation towards ports and administrative authorities. For commercial shipowners and operators across French and West African ports.
- Customs Representation Services Customs clearance assistance operated under Agreed Economic Operator (AEO) status, including post-Brexit customs services and specialized tax warehouse management. For shipowners, charterers, and cargo owners.
- Hub Services Comprehensive crew and logistics assistance including seafarer support at airports (e.g., Paris Charles de Gaulle), crew changes, and logistical coordination. For shipowners and operators managing crew rotations.
- Stevedoring Services (SEA-Bulk) Stevedoring operations through the SEA-Bulk branch including loading, discharging, and storage of dry bulk cargoes. For cargo handlers, importers, and dry bulk traders.
- Logistics Services Specialized logistics operations including heavy lift transport, barge services, equipment transfers, exceptional convoys, and supply deliveries to vessels including LNG terminals. For shipowners, cargo handlers, and offshore energy projects.
- Ships Brokerage Services Brokerage services for vessel transactions and chartering, facilitating ship sale and charter arrangements. For shipowners, charterers, and vessel buyers.
- Documentation Services Documentation services including Bills of Lading, ENS (Entry Summary Declarations), and Charter Parties preparation and management. For shipowners, charterers, and traders.
- MySISA Online Client Portal Password-protected online client portal providing access to all SISA digital services through a unified platform, including Port Log, Disbursements, Statistics, and Terminal Characteristics modules. For existing shipping agency clients including shipowners, charterers, and traders.
- SISA TRACKING Shipment management and tracking tool enabling real-time tracking and centralized parcel management. For shipowners, charterers, and cargo owners requiring visibility into shipment status.
Quantifiable outcome
- Port logs available for minimum 5 years, disbursement accounts for minimum 10 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SISA
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SISA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
SISA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- SEA-Invest GroupcoreSEA-Invest Shipping Agency is part of SEA-Invest group, which is the number one stevedoring and storage company for dry bulk cargoes in Europe, a leading North European liquid storage company, and a major worldwide fruit handler. SISA operates as the shipping agency arm of the group.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SISA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CMA CGM (Agency Division): Global container shipping line with deep French roots and in-house port agency, stevedoring, and terminal operations through subsidiary networks. Overlaps with SISA's French port coverage and customs representation scope, but operates as a vertically integrated carrier rather than an independent agent.
- Bolloré Logistics (Port Services): Global logistics provider offering freight forwarding, port handling, and customs services across West Africa and Europe. Overlaps with SISA's customs representation, stevedoring, and West African port presence as part of a much broader multi-modal logistics portfolio.
Others
- Sea-Invest Group (Parent Stevedoring): Parent conglomerate of SISA, Europe's #1 stevedoring and storage operator for dry bulk, North European liquid storage leader, and major fruit handler. Adjacent rather than competitive; provides vertical integration that channels stevedoring, storage, and terminal revenue into SISA's agency mandate at ports like Abidjan, Rouen, and Antwerp.
Direct peers
- Groupe Charles André (GCA): French family-owned logistics and port services group operating bulk transport, port handling, and shipping agency services across France and selected African markets. Directly comparable to SISA in regional footprint, dry-bulk orientation, and ownership lineage to a French industrial group.
- Inchcape Shipping Services: Global port agency and maritime services provider delivering vessel agency, hub services, and crew change support to commercial shipping. Directly comparable to SISA's full-service agency offering, with a larger global footprint and port-call clearance specialization.
- GAC (Gulf Agency Company): Global shipping agency network offering vessel call, crew, customs, and ship supply services across 50+ countries. Directly comparable to SISA in core port-call clearance and husbandry services, with broader geographic scale and similar AEO-equivalent customs capabilities.
- Marmedsa (Maritime Services): Spanish shipping agency offering port call clearance, crew changes, and husbandry services across Iberian Peninsula and selected Mediterranean ports. Directly comparable to SISA's tramping agency model in geographic adjacency (Spain/Portugal partner network) and service mix.
- WEC Lines & Agencies: Independent European shipping agency and liner operator offering port call, crew, and documentation services across North-West Europe. Directly comparable to SISA in tramping agency scope and customer-base overlap with mid-sized regional shipowners and charterers.
- Wilhelmsen Port Services: Worldwide port agency provider delivering vessel call coordination, husbandry, and crew change services under the Wilh. Wilhelmsen group. Directly comparable to SISA in core tramping agency functions, with differentiated global scale and broader ship supply cross-sell.
- Wünsche Group: European independent shipping agency network providing port call, crew change, customs, and husbandry services across Germany, Northern Europe, and selected global trades. Directly comparable to SISA's French/West-African tramping agency model with similar transaction-fee revenue profile.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SISA social profiles
Digital presenceSISA compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
SISA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SISA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
SISA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SISA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SISA
What does SISA do?
SISA is a shipping agency providing vessel call management, crew and technical assistance, port operations control, customs clearance, ship brokerage, documentation, stevedoring, and logistics coordination for commercial vessel operators. Services are delivered through a network of wholly owned offices covering the entire French coastline plus West Africa, supported by the MySISA online portal that provides port log tracking, disbursement accounts, real-time statistics, and terminal characteristics databases.
Is SISA a public or private company?
SISA is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SISA founded?
SISA was founded in 2002. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is SISA based?
SISA is headquartered in Grand-couronne, France, in the Europe region.
How does SISA make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Shipping Agency Services are the primary driver. The others are customs Representation, specialized Tax Warehouses Management, ships Brokerage, documentation Services, stevedoring Services and logistics Services.
Who are SISA's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CMA CGM (Agency Division) and Bolloré Logistics (Port Services). Sea-Invest Group (Parent Stevedoring) is listed as an others. Direct peers are Groupe Charles André (GCA), Inchcape Shipping Services, GAC (Gulf Agency Company), Marmedsa (Maritime Services), WEC Lines & Agencies, Wilhelmsen Port Services and Wünsche Group.
Does SISA have an API?
No public API is recorded for SISA.
What industry is SISA in?
SISA's product category is Maritime Shipping Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAHAJAA, Port Call Clearance & Documentation (Arrival/Departure, Customs/Immigration/Health), with a secondary code of TLAHAJAB, Vessel Husbandry & Crew Services (Crew Change, Meet & Assist, Transport, Shore Passes). Its NAICS code is 4883 and its SIC code is 4400.